2025 in 2025: Day 6

amp-relection - School Food Punishment
Going in to this, I was under the impression this was some weird electronic lo-fi chill out album I had picked up from a friend some years ago and had listened to once or twice to no major impression. And this intro starts and I'm all like 'Yeah, just what I thought'. And then the first song goodblue starts and I'm like 'Oh I am all kinds of wrong!' because this album is my jam, right here! Power-pop with electronic elements and all sorts of good stuff going on. I hope you take a lot from my technical breakdown.
Highlights: goodblue, future nova, 駆け抜ける
7.50/10

And Now... The Runaways
Joan Jett fronting The Runaways is always good times. Apart from a terrible cover of Eight Days a Week. And the middle part of this album. And Takeover might be the dumbest song Jett has ever written - it's total cold war propaganda, complaining about how the Russians are causing all sorts of trouble? But then again, look at the modern world and tell her she's wrong. Anyways, there are some good songs in here, but this is definitely the lowest of The Runaways' discography.
Highlights: Saturday Night Special, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Black Leather
7/10

...And Then There Was X - DMX
Aaah of course, this is just Party Up (Up In Here). Because it is the meanest, angriest, grooviest hip-hop song on the planet. Adding the rest of this album to my list of albums to update in full.
9/10

Angel Dust - Faith No More
Fun story time: on my first day of high school, a 7th form guy in my home room came to me and asked me if I liked Faith No More. I was familiar with Epic and a couple of songs from The Real Thing, I think, and I liked Midlife Crisis. So the next day, he brought in his Faith No More tape collection and told me to go listen to them. He also suggested that Angel Dust might be a bit different, but to give it a chance. He was right on all counts, because Faith No More were generally very good, and this album is their peak. Not sure what Sir James Martin's problem was, because his riffs and shredding are key to its success. Station. This whole thing rides the line between alt rock and whatever pretentious nonsense Mike Patton has going on in his head. Because there is some bizarre stuff going on here; cheerleaders, war marches, songs desperately trying to sound like Primus... but then there's some killer hooks and funky grooves. Plus, Patton's hairstyle during this period was on point. Please file my report at the Faith No More Spiritual & Theological Centre.
Highlights: Land of Sunshine, Caffeine, Mid-Life Crisis, Everything's Ruined, A Small Victory
8/10

Animalize - Kiss
Shredder!!! Modern Kiss should have attempted this album live - it would have been hilarious to hear Thayer try and do even the tiniest bit of this shredding. It would be like... me trying to do even the slowest bit of shredding. In the grand discography of Kiss, this would be totally middle of the road if Mark St John wasn't shredding everything everywhere all over your face. Oh you want some more ridiculous shredding? I think I can only spare another bit of that in every song!
Highlights: Shreddy-shred-shredd-shred-shredder!!
6/10

Soul Taker - Anipara Superband
This sounds like some live version I picked up somewhere... Pretty sure I scored this because it features Psychic Lover (I can def hear YOFFY singing some backing vocals and that guitar solo sounds suspiciously like IMAJO). I despise romaji, so I think I need to update the band name in iTunes to correct Japanese. Or just delete the song, because it's garbage.
2/10

ANOMALY - The Hiatus
The greatest band name ever. Featuring the greatest band member ever. And still only his third best band. It took me a long time to actually give this album a decent listen, because the opening is just... too much. BUT once you get past it, there are some great songs on here. A bit more aggressive than their first album. And a lot harsher. However, this may be 細美さん's best vocal performance on any album - he really let's it rip on songs like Insomnia. I would gladly wake up the world by playing ベテルギウスの灯 too loudly. But then, how could I play that song too loud?
Highlights: Insomnia, ベテルギウスの灯, 西門の昧爽
7.5/10

Anomaly [Deluxe Edition] - Ace Frehley
Oh, look - another album with the same name. And, hilariously, these were only released nine months apart. Anyways, a couple of years ago when playing catchup on my Ace Frehley collection, I finally picked up the reissue of this album. It's the same album, just with some bonus tracks that are completely pointless. Luckily, the rest of the album is unchanged, because this is still one of Ace's best albums. Genghis Khan features some of his absolute best playing in ever. And Fractured Quantum always gives me the utmost feels.
Highlights: Genghis Khan, Sister, Fractured Quantum
7.5/10 (again, take away the bonus tracks and this is a solid 8)

Another Disc - Brian May
This is the bonus disc for the Another World reissue. I finally managed to pick up all three Brian May solo box sets for more affordable pricing last year, and that made my little Brian May corner very happy. Nice touching tribute to Cozy Powell to open this - dude was a phenomenal drummer, as accentuated in the remix to Business. Then we get a bunch of covers of old rock'n roll songs. Including Hot Patootie from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Brian May doing Buddy Holly is a combination of two of my most favourite legends. This is all good, but then the whole collection trails off in to unnecessary reworkings of Business. Which makes me sick of Business. Which is a shame, because Business is my favourite track on Another World. I'm saying Business all the time so that you, too, will also be sick of Business.
Highlights: The rock'n roll covers, giving me the Business over Business
5.5/10

Another World - Brian May
I got so caught up in listening to this album I almost forgot to write anything. Business is awesome - being sick of it lasted about 30 seconds. The Guv'nor should have been the theme song to The Governor in The Walking Dead - I'm going to need someone to edit together some sort of highlights package for him to this song. Everything here is good, just fairly standard rock/blues type of stuff, with some nice ballads thrown in. Is it exceptional? No - but it is Brian May, so there is nothing bad about any of it.
Highlights: Business, The Guv'nor
7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 55

2025 in 2025: Day 5

Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned - The Prodigy
Wake up, LOGMAN! If I were a pro-wrestler, Spitfire would be an awesome entrance song. Oh snap, I forgot Juliette Lewis did vocals on this song - the whole 2 lines. This whole album is hard-hitting electronic punk badassery. Which is really what you should expect from The Prodigy. But there's just something about this album that feels extra cool. Maybe it's the use of rappers like Kool Keith and Twista? Otherwise, it's pretty well just a Liam Howlett solo album. He and Liam Gallagher must have been married to the All Saints sisters at the time, because that would have surely made it easier to get him and Noel to come help make Shoot Down one blast of awesome to end the album.
Highlights: Spitfire, Wake Up Call, Get Up Get Off, Action Radar, Shoot Down
8.5/10

ALXD - [Alexandros]
When the opening riff of ワトリドリ kicked in, I was like 'Oooh I know this song, but I am not sure what it is...' and then the band kicked and I was like 'Oh snap!' Awesome song, awesome way to open an album. I've generally been a bit harsh on the rest of this album, but I think it's more the next few songs after that are not so great, because the rest of the album is very good, too. Clearly I need to listen to this more.
Highlights: ワトリドリ, Dog 3, Coming Summer
7.5/10

AMARANTHUS - Momoiro Clover Z
Bahahahaha I'm hilarious. MCZ are fun. This is actually just two songs from the album, because spending that much on an MCZ album would be insane. The mix on WE ARE BORN is fantastic (and it's an awesome song I kind of want to listen to again right now). And ゴリラパンチ is just fun. There's a 'metal mix' that is kinda cool, but omits my fav part at 2:08. And is really unnecessary, because the intro & verses have plenty heavy guitars as it is. Shiizz, I ain't afraid of you mofos. 
9/10

Ambitions - ONE OK ROCK
The volume just went UP! Massive guitar riffs, stadium drums, spacious keyboards, and bah gawd Taka's voice. Dude was at his absolute peak on this album. And that's saying something, because I still maintain that dude has the best voice in rock even today. We Are is the biggest and bestest anthem on the planet. The live version has a guitar solo and I kinda wish that was on this version, too. Argh I want to listen to that now. Luckily this album just keeps kicking ass, so I won't turn it off right now. Sure, it falls off a little in the middle. And I could certainly live without Avril Lavigne appearing. But at least her vocals have been super processed so she actually sounds like someone that can sing. I need more ONE OK ROCK.
Highlights: Bombs Away, Taking Off, We Are, Start Again, Take What You Want
8/10

America's Greatest Hero - Joey Scarbury
This is simply the theme from The Greatest American Hero, Believe It or Not. One of the greatest TV show themes of all-time. I should watch the show again, but I think I've been saying that for about 20 years.
8/10

American Beauty/American Psycho - Fall Out Boy
Wait - this album is now 10 years old?!? Time and life are going too quickly. It starts off kinda... meh. But then it gets kinda... sad. And then gets really... dark. Well, for FOB, anyways. Wait; I just read the title track samples Too Fast For Love by Mötley Crüe. How have I not noticed that before? Because that's the worst song on the album? Why am I asking all these questions of a 10 year-old? The 2nd half of the album is awesome when I'm in the right mood. I like some dark and angry emo pop punk, and this album provides that quite nicely. In part.
Highlights: Novocaine, Fourth of July, Favorite Record
7/10

American Gangster - Jay-Z
Oh my, what a change of pace. After a morning of head-crushing beats, amped-up anthems and edgy emo energy, Jay-Z hits me with the more relaxed grooves while he recounts life doing illegal things against a backdrop of 70s soul music. We even get Marvin Gaye and Beastie Boys sampled to great effect. Do people really think Lil Wayne is good? I keep seeing stuff online about him being the greatest ever, but I'm yet to find a single verse he's dropped that is actually good. Luckily Jay-Z is fire 90% of the time. And the tracks Diddy wrote/produced here are all killer - probably some of his best work, IMO.
Highlights: No Hook, Roc Boys (And the Winner Is...), American Gangster
7/10

American Idiot - Green Day
The last good album by Green Day? Which was such a bizarre return to form after Nimrod and Warning. As a teenager of the 90s, I never thought I'd see the day when these guys did a 9-minute song. Let alone 2 of them on one album. And they are actually the best songs on the album. This is the second punk song called Novocaine I've heard today. Solid album.
Highlights: Jesus of Suburbia, Homecoming, Whatsername
7.5/10

American Pie - Various Artists
I was never a fan of the movie, but this soundtrack is the most 1999 collection of 1999 music. 3EB, blink-182, Sugar Ray and even New Zealand singer Bic Runga somehow lucked her way into this. Twice! You Wanted More by Tonic was a classic busking jam for me. Still holds up remarkably well!
Highlights: New Girl - Third Eye Blind, You Wanted More - Tonic
7/10

Americana - The Offspring
I never listen to this, because I am have an immediate distaste for it due to the cheesy singles - Pretty Fly (For a White) is kinda lame, and Why Don't You Get a Job? is so incredibly awful I've already deleted it from my iTunes (thank Prime for that! I probably didn't even import it - I hate it that much). But I am trying to give it a fair re-evaluation, because there are some very typically good Offspring songs on here. Then they go and drop that parody of Feelings in the middle of the album and I go back to hating this nonsense.
Highlights: The Kids Aren't Alright, Not having to listen to Why Don't You Get a Job?
5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 45

2025 in 2025: Day 4

All About Chemistry - Semisonic
Almost 25 years ago, my brother moved overseas and left me a whole bunch of his stuff - including half of his CD collection. This was one of those CDs. And this is the first time I've ever actually listened to it! It's a fairly harmless piece of early-2000s radio rock. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
Highlights:
6/10

All Bad Things - Mötley Crüe
This was Mötley Crüe's farewell single. When they embarked on their final concert tour... before recording more songs and then going back on tour and then recording more songs and going back on tour. 80s rockers retire like they are pro-wrestlers. The funniest part of this song is that it opens with Nikki Sixx stating they "would rather just break up than be bland", but then this song is exactly that.
4/10

All My Life - Billy Joel
This was kind of in the same vein; Billy Joel kind of retired from releasing music in the 90s, and this was his first release since then, something like 15 years later. It's about what you'd expect from an older Billy Joel writing a love song. A very easy breezy piano ballad.
5/10

All Night Carnival - Various Artists
So there is this song called One Night Carnival by a group called Kishidan. And for the 20th anniversary of that single, their record label put together this album of other artists performing the song. It just so happens that their record label is Avex Tracks - home to some of the biggest artists in Japan. So you get 11 different artists like Ayumi Hamasaki, BiSH and Momoiro Clover Z giving their take on the same song. It's quite fun getting to hear all these different artists all on the same album... doing the same song. And that part can get a bit old. Because deep down, it is the same song 11 times. That said, some of them really do make this sound like a somewhat different song - the WANIMA version in particular. Because WANIMA are awesome.
Highlights: Ayumi Hamasaki, BiSH, WANIMA
7/10

All The Young Dudes - David Bowie
Well, my iTunes says this is Mott The Hoople, but this is definitely David Bowie singing. And it's a different version to the one found on the Aladdin Sane reissue. So I have no idea what version this is, right now. Clearly I have decided to start 2025 by failing at my musical knowledge. But this is the best studio version I have of the song. And this is a great song.
9/10

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
This is quite likely the best solo album released by a Beatle. Folksy rock songs, ruminations on religion and love, Hare Krishna chanting, instrumental jams. This album has everything. Even a huge stack of reverb and Psycho Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound". I'm somewhat embarrassed that I do not have the 50th anniversary edition with the new remix (Harrison's son finally and went and did what his Father had been interested in doing, and stripped all that Spector stuff out), because I am genuinely interested to hear how it sounds, but I just don't drop all my money on albums I already own anymore - I save that for overpriced boxes of kung fu movies. And these Beatles-adjacent box sets have been getting more and more expensive. Wah-Wah is my favourite diss track of all-time (Euphoria is now a very close second). I dig the extra tracks on this, as well - apart from the 2000 version of My Sweet Lord. Also, people don't talk enough about Klaus Voorman's bass playing. Between this and Plastic Ono Band, the dude was awesome and had so much groove. Eric Clapton is also tolerable here. I'm not 100% convinced there isn't some type of modernisation going on with Out of the Blue, but it might be just the 5 hours of fake live Kiss I listened to yesterday. I'm sure George Harrison wasn't like that. And "moderinastion" is a hell of a word to throw at something released 25 years ago. I've written a lot, because this is a long album.
Highlights:
9/10

Allegiance - Firewind
I believe this was given to me by the guitarist in my short-lived rock band 15 years ago. I may have listened to it once? It's starting off like some sort of modern Iron Maiden. Wait - was that a dueling guitar and keyboard solo? I get why that dude liked this and gave it to me. Shred shred shred. Actually, with the dramatic vocals and the keyboards and the shredding (and the shredding keyboards?) it all sounds like a less-pop Psychic Lover! It's fun. Like most metal, I get pretty bored fairly easily, but still fun for what it is.
Highlights:
7/10

Aloha From Hawaii [12 January 1973] - Elvis Presley
This is the dress rehearsal concert from two days before the live broadcast. Okay, so this is a weird confession; I've seen this on my old DVD numerous times. However, I bought the Aloha From Hawaii boxset (both concerts on blu-ray and CD) a few months ago and... have yet to the listen to the CDs. Until now! Darn Elvis for being an unprofessional goof and messing up the lyrics to Burning Love - this could have been the best version ever! He also fumbles is his way through part of My Way. Shiz, Elvis ain't afraid of you mofos!
Highlights:
6.5/10

Aloha From Hawaii [14 January 1973] - Elvis Presley
Now it is time for the exact same concert just two days later! You see, Elvis performed and recorded the concert on the 12th as a backup in case they had any satellite issues on the 14th. It also meant they could make more money - as well as money for the children's benefit they were supporting with these shows. So the setlist is pretty much the same, just with a few extra songs (which are well worth it IMO). At least he remembers the words to Burning Love this time, though he does come close to messing it up still. In Elvis On Tour, the dude actually had to read the lyrics on stage. Normally Elvis made everything his own, but that was never the case when he covered The Beatles - his version of Something is just average no matter the night. Anyways, all I can say is this concert is OK to listen to, but much more enjoyable to watch, because you can see Elvis was having fun and that really lifts an otherwise average performance. Shiz, Elvis ain't afraid of you mofos!
Highlights:
7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 35

2025 in 2025: Day 3

The Album - ABBA
Starting the day with ABBA feels sooooo good. I don't know if this album is underappreciated or anything, but turns out there are only 2 hit singles from it. That's odd, because this album is pure greatness. But then again, most ABBA albums are! I kind of see this album as being a little more theatrical, with songs like I'm a Marionette and I Wonder, which makes sense when I remember that is part of what makes up ABBA: The Movie. Which I have never seen. I should do that one day when I don't have 24,000 songs to listen to. Oh yeah, One Man, One Woman is grand.
Highlights: Take a Chance on Me, One Man One Woman, Thank You For the Music, I'm a Marionette
9/10

The Album - Blackpink
I was going to call them the queens of K-Pop, but I think that is 2NE1. So this makes them the princesses? Either way, this album is... somewhat disappointing? The singles are mostly awesome, but the collaborations with American artists are kinda lame. The production is top-notch, as expected, but I don't know - I just expected more from this album when it was released, given how awesome their singles are, and that attitude hasn't changed four years later.
Highlights: How You Like That, Lovesick Girls
6.5/10

Album of the Year - Faith No More
I tried to listen to this in full a couple of weeks ago and failed - I couldn't even make it halfway through. Today I have no choice. It starts off strong, but this album is peak 'Mike Patton is a wacky guy' levels of Faith No More. I preferred the Jim Martin and "gay disco" era, personally. I remember in 1997 seeing some live version of Ashes to Ashes where Patton screamed the chorus and it was actually badass, but I've never been able to find anything online since that comes close. There is some fun to be had here (Mouth to Mouth, Got That Feeling) and some decent songs, but overall I find this to be their most pretentious album. Which would explain why I enjoyed it back in 1997. Please file my report at the Faith No More Spiritual & Theological Centre.
Highlights: Mouth to Mouth, Ashes to Ashes, Got That Feeling
6/10

Ali G Indahouse Da Soundtrack - Various Artists
Again, this is simply Me Julie by Ali G & Shaggy. Fun comedy R'n'B from a fun comedy movie.
6/10

Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains
Remarkably, this is another album from that era that I recently revisited. Except in this case, I made it the whole way through; because under the dirge and ugly guitar tones and just straight up noise, there is a good album in here. This is a lot darker and grimier than their previous albums, and some of the songs do tend to go on a bit longer than they need to. And Layne Stayley sings like a man struggling under the weight of his heroin addiction. And it does kind of all start falling apart as the album goes on... The breakdown in Again still goes hard.
Highlights: Again, Grind, Brush Away, Sludge Factory - particularly that intro, special mention to the breakdown in Again (again)
7/10

Alive II - Kiss
Thanks to alphabet and naming conventions, this is the first 'Alive' album by Kiss that I will be listening to - Alive! will come last, thanks to that apostrophe in the name. Funny stuff. Anyways, this album is good. I've told you that before.
Highlights: Shock Me, I Stole Your Love, Rocket Ride, a whole bunch of stuff
8/10

Alive III - Kiss
Oh, more Kiss, you say? Don't mind if I do... Re-reading my post from Kissathon II, it's interesting how much I forgive Kiss for putting out live albums that are not really live. Like, it just is not a big deal to me at all. Because the Alive albums sound great.
Highlights: I Was Made For Lovin' You, Lick It Up, Forever, Detroit Rock City, God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II
8.5/10

Alive IV: The Millennium Concert - Kiss
Did you know: If I had used the official name for this album, it would have been in my queue after all the other Alive albums. Interesting. Or not. Anyways, I like this album more and more each time I listen to it, for reasons detailed here. Tempos annoyed the bejeebus out of this time around, as well, but I had to lift my rating for Do You Love Me? because this version is kicking my butt today.
Highlights: Deuce, Shout It Out Loud, Firehouse, Let Me Go Rock'n Roll, 100,000 Years, Love Gun, Black Diamond, Rock and Roll All Nite
8.5/10

Alive! - Kiss
And thus our first live Kiss marathon concludes. I'm sure I've listened to these four back-to-back before, but not in this order. Strange times we live in. Fun note: in my spreadsheet from Kissathon II, there is a note next to Nothin' To Lose that simply says "gene's vocals suck" like I wouldn't remember that. My love for Parasite just grows and grows - this version is pretty awesome, really. I've detailed this album before. Twice, even. And strangely, I have given it a different rating each time! That's the power of Kiss!!
Highlights: Damn-near most of the album, except for that drum solo in 100,000 Years (although I actually didn't find it that bad today)
9/10 

"Albums" listened to so far: 26

2025 in 2025: Day 2

Aerosmith - Aerosmith
I am almost ashamed to admit this, but... this is probably the first time I'm ever listening to this album. Like, ever. I'm not sure how that happened? I had Aerosmith obsessed friends in high school. I was given all their albums probably close to 20 years ago. So I have absolutely no excuse. Anyways, I'm guessing this is Aerosmith's debut album? It's rad as hell and I should have been listening to this much sooner in life. I think I like the live version of Dream On more, but otherwise this is solid 70s rock good times!
Highlights: Make It, Mama Kin, LOGMAN waking up to the awesome of this album.
7.5/10

Affirmation - Savage Garden
Okay, so no, this is not the full album - simply the song Crash and Burn. There will be more like this, I'm sure. Darren Hayes is a phenomenal singer and seems like a decent dude, but I could never really get into Savage Garden. However, this song is very good.
8/10

Afterglow - Crowded House
This is some sort of rarities compilation released after the band split back in... 1996? It's almost 30 years later and they're still going again, albeit it is now just the Neil Finn Family Travelling Jamboree or something. There's a reason most of this was just b-sides and demos that didn't make the cut for their albums.
Highlights: Private Universe [Acoustic Version], Anyone Can Tell, Recurring Dream
6/10

Afterglow - Sarah McLachlan
Two albums with the same name? I wonder how many times that is going to happen... and things sure have chilled out this morning! This is a solid album, but I can't help feel like it is trying to go somewhere and then just kind of doesn't. Like, she was trying to push her sound a little further on this and then they got scared and decided to stick with the classic mellow Sarah McLachlan sound. Or that is just purely her sound and these couple of tracks were just exceptions? I don't know. Solid album, nonetheless.
Highlights: Fallen, Stupid, Time
7/10

Afterglow [Deluxe Edition] - Crowded House
The Afterglow tour continues! I had expected this album would have been made obsolete by Crowded House releasing all their deluxe edition albums. Instead, they doubled-down and made it a deluxe edition as well - adding a bonus disc of demos and then three great songs from somewhere that almost make this worthwhile.
Highlights: Anthem, Instinct, Everything is Good For You
6/10

Aggression - Various Artists
I'm not sure who put this on iTunes, to be honest, because I thought the album would be called WWF Aggression? And also, it is spelled "Agression" in iTunes?? Anyways, I didn't purchase the whole thing - just the Run-DMC remix of the D-Generation X theme song. It's my theme song now.
10/10

Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
David Bowie was the man. But, I actually don't recall the last time I listened to this album! I know it's iconic and all that, but I've never thought this was Bowie's best work. Definitely some killer stuff, and the lyrics to Time are just brilliantly bizarre.
Highlights: Watch That Man, Cracked Actor, Time, Let's Spend the Night Together, The Jean Genie
7.5/10

Aladdin Sane [30th Anniversary Bonus Disc] - David Bowie
This is some singles versions and live songs. The version of All The Young Dudes here is definitely not the best version. John, I'm Only Dancing seems to be my jam today!
Highlights: John, I'm Only Dancing [Saxophone Version]
6.5/10

Album - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Ooooh yeah! I love Joan Jett so much - a true pioneer and just a total badass. This album came after the success of I Love Rock'n Roll and feels a lot more raw, more rough. More punk rock. Well, the original songs do; the cover songs are all much more polished, which seems to be a constant with Joan Jett. Many songs that are just insulting a dude or dudes, so if you were a guy around Jett at this time, you should feel bad. I'm not a fan of Star, Star, personally. Otherwise this has become my favourite Joan Jett album over the years. This album is also a reminder that I need to split out the bonus tracks from these Joan Jett albums, because Had Enough is a perfect album ender and the bonus tracks after kill the vibe (and go on way too long).
Highlights: Fake Friends, Everyday People, A Hundred Feet Away, Secret Love, Coney Island Whitefish, Had Enough
7.5/10 (I'd easily go to 8 without the bonus tracks)

"Albums" listened to so far: 17

2025 in 2025: Day 1

I'm still not convinced there are 2025, but hey - here we go!

ABBA - ABBA
Mamma Mia is a hell of a way to start this whole thing... ABBA's self-titled album is their third studio album and is just a barrel of good times like that opening song and SOS, which is probably one of all-time favourite ABBA songs. The deep cuts here are also pretty freaking great. Man in the Middle is so dang funky. Particularly the lyrics about a 50 year-old dude dating a 17 year-old... I disliked Rock Me when I was younger and first discovered ABBA. However, once I finally joined an ABBA tribute band and was required to do a bit more of a deep-dive on their catalogue, it really grew on. But, man, did I used to shred my voice screaming it! You know, I don't often miss performing live, but ABBA really do that for me. Genuinely one of the greatest pop bands of all-time. And this album at 4am just hits hard! First album in and already I wish I could stop and just listen to ABBA all day...
Highlights: Mamma Mia, SOS, Rock Me, So Long 
8.5/10

Abbey Road - The Beatles
From one brilliant pop act to another! And my favourite album, to boot! This is just perfection after perfection. Even Maxwell's Silver Hammer isn't actually that bad! I'll never understand why that song gets so much hate, yet Beatles fans are totally fine with the other trite Paul McCartney wrote. Anyways, I'm not going to get bogged down in hating, because it's followed by one of McCartney's shining moments and then Harrison hits us with some of his grooviest lead work ever. Then Lennon gets his prog going - I do kinda miss how much this song completely distorted on the old master. And I failed at picking the ending again - couldn't tell if that was the ending or if my headphones had cut out. And taking a bunch of half-finished songs and making that medley may well be one McCartney's finest moments. OK, yes, now I understand; if not for Maxwell and his silver hammer of silly, this would be the most perfect album in the history of history.
Highlights: George Harrison's lead guitar work, The awesome ending to She's So Heavy, The Medley
9.999/10

Ace Frehley - Ace Frehley
Ace's first solo album! I don't have much to add to my initial review, except that Anton Fig is an underappreciated drummer.
Highlights: Ace being Ace.
10/10

Acoustic EP - Charlton Hill
Well, here is something I haven't listened to in a VERY long time! I met Charlton Hill and his guitarist in probably my first week living in Melbourne, so thought I should do the supportive thing and buy his album - and this was a bonus disc that came with it. I'm pretty sure they're all just acoustic versions of songs on the album. I wonder what those dudes are doing now...
Highlights: Not a lot...
5/10

Acoustic Hits - The Cure
The acoustic version of The Cure's greatest hits. Man, I was having so much fun until all this acoustic stuff kicked in - too early in the morning for so much chilling out! Admittedly, I have not actually listened to this CD all that much. Turns out, this is kind of fun, too. I'm not crazy-tied to some of their random 80s singles, so hearing them in this fashion is at least interesting to me. And by the time In Between Days comes on, I'm thinking this may be a totally good vibe; no keyboard brass on Why Can't I Be You, fun acoustic percussion on everything, zero electronic noise on Wrong Number. It's The Cure's hit singles - there is nothing bad going on here.
Highlights: The use of Xylophone.
7.5/10

Active Duty - MC Hammer
It's Hammer! And he's bringing his crew of bad singers with super patriotic pro-USA, pro-war, SUPER pro-church lyrics . Watch out, terrorists!  Hammer's coming to getcha! USA! USA! On the whole, the album has great beats and the flow is tight; it's just the lyrics are mostly stupid. And it did not need to be 80 minutes long. Fun fact; one afternoon I was listening to this album (by choice, even) and decided to tweet MC Hammer to let him know. He replied with a fist bump. That was a great moment in life and I will give the album a pass for that reason.
Highlights: Hammer telling terrorists they gonna get some.
5/10

Actor - 緑黄色社会
Bah gawd this intro is phenomenal! There was no way the rest of the album could live up to it - and it does not. The thing about 緑黄色社会, is that their initial independent releases were so fantastic, they quickly became one of those bands that I just immediately buy anything from. Then they signed with a major label and with each subsequent release, their work just got less interesting. And this, their third album and second major label album, captures that completely. It isn't bad - I'm not sure they're capable of creating bad - but everything just sounds the same and provides me with no real emotional connection. And so this was the album where I tapped out. But hey, their popularity has only increased so hopefully they're making bank now. Good for them.
Highlights: Actor (Opening Track - not the whole album. Or even someone that goes by that for their occupation. Except maybe Tom Cruise. That would be a highlight, for sure!)
6/10

Ænima - Tool
Wow. Talk about a blast from the past... Tool were my favourite band in 1996/97 and this was probably one of those 'day one' albums for me. No doubt my friends and I listened to it a lot in 1997. And now, if not for this marathon, I would probably never choose to put on a Tool song under any circumstances. In fact, I just checked and not only do all my Tool tracks have 0 plays, they have 3 skips. All that said, listening to this does kinda make me want to pick up a guitar and jam along a little. Because Eulogy features a whole bunch of great riffs. Hooker With a Penis is more fun than I remember. But even 16 year-old LOGMAN had no interest in a bunch of transitions that range from windscreen wipers to a baby screaming and thunder. The German recipe still slaps, though.
Highlights: Stinkfist, Eulogy, The big meaty ending to Forty-Six & 2.
5/10

Albums Listened to So Far: 8

2025: The Year of Stupid Plans

My iTunes library tried to tell me I now have 2025 albums in my library. Now, I'm not 100% certain of how accurate that actually is; I've seen it split some things randomly and I don't know if it counts those as 2 different albums. But what I do know, is that this is 2025 and it's about time I do a silly thing I've been considering doing for some time:

I'm going to listen to everything in my iTunes library. Everything.

Looking at my phone/glorified iPod, the funnest plan for this is to select All Albums, which is sorted alphabetically by title, and then just hit Play All. According to my iTunes library, this will take something like 64 days. Obviously, I'm not going to be listening 24 hours a days for 64 days, so my calculations have this taking around 6 months. Six months of not being able to purposely choose exactly what I listen to. Which, to be honest, may actually be helpful, because some days I spend far too much time trying to decide before settling on the same stuff I always listen to.

So why am I telling you this? Because, of course, I will be bLogging about this as I go. I'll just keep it brief like the Ryan Adams (is cancelled) marathon. Some of the "albums" may well just be a song or two - sometimes I might have a single or just downloaded a song I like from a band I care nothing for, or somehow ended up with something random. There will also be a whole lot of stuff I haven't listened to in a very long (my iTunes library would have you believe I have never listened to Ten by Pearl Jam). And the benefit to playing by album title is that I won't just get stuck listening to one band all day. Well, that's going to happen a few times, like when I hit some of the massive box sets that are compiled as one album title, but at least it will happen a lot less. Just looking at the first day alone, I'm going to be hit with ABBA, Ace Frehley, The Beatles, MC Hammer and Tool. Hilariously mixed up! So that should keep me on my toes.

As I go, I will also be giving everything a rating so I can update the star rating in iTunes. And fixing any errors I might see, like incorrect years, genres or album art. And there may also be stuff I've never listened to before - and it might be terrible, so then I can delete it from my iTunes. Because my phone keeps telling me I have no space to add more music and I can barely remember what I have going on amongst the 24,245 songs. I know there has got to be some trash in there, and I may as well get rid of some of that to make room for trash I actually enjoy.

So in 2025, let's see take a serious deep-dive through my music collection...